Connie Guthrie from Save Our Strays shares statistics an the names of the partner rescue groups that have led to community networking to save lives:
We have reached a total of 1438 transported homeless pets, as of May 8, 2010, to Animal Humane Society, in Minnesota, since 2009.
This total does not include the animals we have transported to DeKalb, Ilinois, (DeKalb Humane Society) in the same time period, which is over 600.
We have made transports to other areas, including Colorado, Ohio (Prison), New Mexico, Missouri and Arkansas. With the transports from Minnesota and DeKalb, our total transported homeless animals are well over 2200.
Our van reached a milestone a week or so ago. In Harrisonville, MO it rolled over 400,000 miles. I have had a few vehicles in my lifetime and not one of them has ever been close to this number.
I told Jen Faehnrich, Community Programs Coordinator at Animal Humane Society, St Paul, Minnesota, that I would like to do something special on the 2000 animal transported to Minnesota. That too, will be a milestone.
For the most part, all of these transports could not have happened without the teamwork of Humane Society of Cherokee County, Forever Friends Humane Society, Shana's Last Chance Animal Rescue (Arkansas), Randy Freeman ACO of Sallisaw OK, Dr. Bill Elliott DVM from Tahlequah, and Siloam Springs Animal Shelter. Most importantly, thank you to my husband David Guthrie, for driving the distance for these homeless pets.
Over 100 transports, 750 miles one way, from the State Of Oklahoma to Minnesota and Illinois have been made by David and Connie Guthrie, Save Our Strays, Inc. Not many people would go the distance repeatedly to get an animal a home, but we have met many other wonderful animal rescuers and transporters while we have been doing this. There are many heroes out there.
We are heading to Minnesota again Monday and this Friday night. We will be going to Colorado on May 27th. I know we are making a difference.
Let’s all work to keep the wheels rolling.
The headline picture shows Connie, David, Amy and Lucky. Amy was a rescued animal back in 1997. Her owner, a female, went to the gulf and was killed in the line of duty. The woman had boarded Amy at Banfield Hospital in Kansas City, MO, asking Banfield to turn the dog over to Connie if she did not return. Connie and David have kept Amy as their own pet since that time. Lucky came from Shana's Last Chance Animal Rescue in Van Buren Ark. Lucky quickly attached himself to David, and they both love each other.
Yukon, the husky, was saved from the Sallisaw Pound in Oklahoma. He went to a family in Missouri last month.
He rode with us to Minnesota and then back to Missouri for his new home. The pictures show him at the pound, then with his new family.
Mollie was adopted by a family in Missouri. She first went to Minnesota and failed the temperament evaluation. We were committed to her future so we networked her situation. A family in Missouri who wanted a red heeler for their father's birthday saw the picture of Mollie. Then, David transported Mollie to her new home (in between transports to Minnesota - Tuesday to Minnesota - Wednesday to Missouri with Mollie - Friday back to Minnesota). We received a phone call later, that the father loved his present. He lives in the country, where he and Mollie go for daily walks.
How You Can Help:
With a van at 400,000 miles, Save Our Strays could use another van. If anyone has a van they are willing to donate (tax deductible) for this cause, it is needed now more than ever. The current van is their personal vehicle, a 2005 Ford, with many miles logged transporting homeless pets north to various humane societies.
Save Our Strays is a 501 c 3 charitable organization. They are still working on their website, but donations can be accepted via mail at:
Save Our Strays
99736 South 4484RD
Gore, OK 74435.
Posted by Marti Lombardi, Best Friends network volunteer. Pictures provided by Connie and David Guthrie.